President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
The World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, on Sept. 27, 2022. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The World Bank's executive committee approved on Oct. 10 the creation of a new fund to help fulfill the Group of Seven (G7)'s $50 billion loan, Reuters reported, citing sources.
During the June G7 summit in Italy, G7 leaders publicly confirmed a deal on the plan to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan by the end of the year, which will be repaid using interest from billions in frozen Russian assets.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a loan of up to 35 billion euros ($39 billion) as part of that pledge.
As the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion continues to put pressure on Ukraine's economy and business, the World Bank plays a crucial role in supporting the country's economic sector.
Concerns about the stability of future international funding for Ukraine have deepened in the leadup to the U.S. presidential election, with many fearing that a victory for Republican nominee Donald Trump could result in a reduction of American support.
The new World Bank-administered financial intermediary fund (FIF) could help allay those concerns.
"This is a game-changing amount of money," said Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, referring to the combined effect of the new World Bank fund and an announcement the previous day that the EU had approved the 35 billion euro loan as part of the G7 loan.
"It's real resources on the ground that can make a difference," Lipsky told Reuters.
The funding will come from the U.S., Japan, and Canada, the sources said, adding that it will be backed by interest generated from frozen Russian assets.
The exact amounts that each country would contribute were not specified.
Martin Fornusek
